Six Greater Fall River football standouts vie for coveted Otto Graham award

Eighteen football players have been nominated for the prestigious Otto Graham Football Award, which will be presented Wednesday at Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School.

Nineteen schools, six from our coverage area, take part in the annual event. Old Rochester does not have a nominee.

Here is a closer look at the six Greater Fall River hopefuls.

The Herald News, Fall River, MA

Writer

Posted Dec. 3, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Dec 3, 2012 at 3:05 AM

Posted Dec. 3, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Dec 3, 2012 at 3:05 AM

» Social News

Eighteen football players have been nominated for the prestigious Otto Graham Football Award, which will be presented Wednesday at Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School.

Nineteen schools, six from our coverage area, take part in the annual event. Old Rochester does not have a nominee.

Here is a closer look at the six Greater Fall River hopefuls.

RAHEEM BARZEY, Durfee: A running back and defensive back, Barzey was the marquee man in the Hilltopper offense, even though defenses keyed on him regularly. He rushed for 991 yards on 123 rushes with seven touchdowns and caught 18 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown for the winless Hilltoppers, who have had three head coaches in the last four years. “Raheem is a fine young man who did not discover football until the ninth grade but quickly fell in love with the sport,” coach LaJhon Jones said. “Although it may have been tough to understand a new system ... Raheem has always taken each day, each practice, each game with the same enthusiasm and intensity as the day he put his first pair of shoulder pads on.”

BRANDON GOMES, Bishop Connolly: Called by coach Justin Kogler “the heart and soul” of the Cougars for the past two seasons, Gomes, who attends Westport High School, this year helped lead the Cougars to their best season ever. As a 5-foot-7, 158-pound running back, Gomes finished with 1,074 yards rushing with nine touchdowns and a 6.4 yards-per-carry average. As a linebacker, he had 49 tackles, nine of those for loss, two forced fumbles, and one interception he also played special teams. A three-year varsity player and two-year captain, Gomes is also a member of the National Honor Society, with a class rank of 17 out of 171, and a GPA of 4.1. He has performed multiple community services and holds a job at Lees Market. He plans to study nursing at UMass Dartmouth, Salve Regina University, Endicott College or Anna Maria College.

TAYLOR FURTADO, Case: A rare four-year letter winner, Furtado played wide receiver as a freshman and then served as a quarterback/safety for the last three. Fast, smart and elusive, Furtado was known as a warrior once he stepped onto the field. In his final game, on Thanksgiving at Somerset Berkley Regional, he played quarterback, running back and wide receiver. He was MVP of Case’s 2011 win over the Blue Raiders, throwing a winning touchdown pass with less than two minutes to play. He also plays basketball and owns two track and field school records.

MICHAEL FERREIRA, Diman Regional: A three-year letterman, Ferreira this season was a standout at running back and was named Boston Globe player of the week after gaining 254 yards in one game. This comes after he gained more than 850 yards as a junior. Ferreira is also a fine baseball player. His school track is electrical and he is already employed at Rezendes Electrical as an apprentice and has already earned a 10-hour OSHA certificate. A regular member of the honor roll, he is in the top 10 percent of his class. Coach Richard Vickrey said Ferreira’s teachers describe him as “very quiet, always on time, ready to solve any task at hand” and the “dean of students knows Mike as a quiet and polite student that has no discipline record.”

Page 2 of 2 -
GARRETT CARLOS, Somerset Berkley Regional: After an injury limited him to a just a defenisve role in his junior year, Carlos exploded onto the scene as an offensive star in 2012. He gained 1,531 yards on 141 carries with 22 touchdowns, averaging 10.9 yards per carry. A linebacker and defensive back, Carlos was among the team leaders in tackles, had three sacks, forced two fumbles and an interception. “Garrett’s success was due in part to his work ethic during the offseason,” coach Nick Freitas said. “On and off the field, Garrett leads by example. Garrett is a modest young man whose work ethic and integrity will ensure his continued success in football and in life.”

CHARLIE McKEEMAN, Bishop Stang: A 6-3, 210-pound quarterback/middle linebacker, McKeeman has been a standout three-year player for the Spartans. This season he rushed for 1,225 yards and accounted for 1,427 yards of total offense and scored 11 touchdowns. He made 131 tackles and came up with an interception. A three-sport athlete (football, basketball, lacrosse), he maintains a GPA of 3.29 in college prep courses and he has volunteered at the St. Michael’s Soup Kitchen in Fall River. “McKeeman is someone that younger students and community members look up to on the court and on the field and in the community,” coach Ryan Silvia said.